Conversation With A Cabbie - II (Bush Is My Hero)

A week ago, I met a cabbie and we had an interesting chat. We somehow got on to the topic of war and why he was forced to leave Iraq. "George Bush is a hero," he declared. This man lived on the receiving end of a dictator's misguided leadership. His perspective of a foreign ruler invading his country to overthrow a tyrannical regime is miles different to those who criticize Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Proponents of the Just War Theory recommend that war is justified if it meets the following eight criteria:

1) Just cause - The cause of initiating war must be just.

2) Competent authority - War cannot be initiated justly except by those who hold the proper authority and responsibility.

3) Comparative justice - The moral merit on our side must clearly outweigh the moral merit on the other.

4) Right intention - The intention of going to war must be to obtain or restore a just peace. Desires to punish or humiliate are not adequate intentions.

5) Last resort - All non-violent alternatives must be exhausted before resorting to war.

6) Probability of success - If the prospect of success is hopeless, war is not justified no matter how just the cause.

7) Proportionality of projected results - The good expected must be greater than the estimation of anticipated costs.

8) Right spirit - War should be regarded as a tragic necessity.

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The people of Iraq, according to my cabbie friend, now have freedom and hope. They admire George Bush for giving them that freedom. It slightly changed how I thought of him too.

World leaders have an immensely tricky maze of murky decisions to make. When they make them, there are many voices which rise up against them. But, one of the traits of a great leader is to make decisions and stick with them.

Was George W. Bush a great leader? I don't know. But, he is a hero in a small town in Iraq.